Nando’s, Whiteley – chicken burger review

It was time to add chicken to my search. And where better to start than Nando’s – the Mozambican/Portuguese-themed restaurant so popular with footballers, rappers and people called Calum and Jordan.

A colleague of mine once described the food at Nando’s as “basically chicken in a basket”. That was possibly a bit harsh. It is simple food though, hence why I’m more likely to recreate it at home than visit a restaurant these days.

The only time I do visit is with our peri-peri-loving neighbours. These visits are rarely “cheeky” though as we usually have them in the diary well in advance.

I had a chicken burger on our latest uncheeky trip to Nando’s in Whiteley on Friday. Let’s see how it scored.

About this burger

Date visited: 13 May 2016

Name on menu: “Grilled Chicken Burger” with two regular sides

Price: £9.15

How this burger scored

Patty – 3/10

The “patty” in the burger was a simple grilled chicken breast, marinated in a “medium” spicy sauce.

It was quite small so looked a bit lost among the other contents of the bun. It was also very dry and didn’t look like it had been marinated for very long.

Chips – 9/10

Almost perfection. A little crispier and we’d have a perfect 10.

Bun – 3/10

Tough on the inside of my mouth and no fluffiness.

Toppings – 8/10

Fresh tomato, a gigantic lettuce leaf and a touch of mayo.

Ambience – 7/10

Not a bad atmosphere for a restaurant in a shopping centre. There was a nice Friday-night buzz tonight and the lighting and decor is nice.

I like how Nando’s makes an effort to decorate each restaurant slightly differently so each location has its own identity.

Drinks selection and quality – 5/10

Four lagers/beers and a decentish cider available. Plus six wines and a simple sangria. Not bad for a chain restaurant.

I tried a bottle of 2M (£3.75), described on the bottle as “the preferred beer of Mozambicans”. It does the job. But not a patch on the beers and ales I’ve been used to elsewhere on my burger search.

Condiments – 5/5

It’s the sauces that keep me coming back to Nando’s. My mouth’s watering now just thinking about the garlic peri peri one.

The sauces, which you can buy in the supermarket along with their marinades, are also one of the reasons it’s easy to do-it-yourself at home.

Presentation – 5/5

It’s on a china plate. It looks nice. Top marks.

Service – 5/5

There must be something in the spice at Nando’s because the service is always top notch. The staff are friendly, attentive and apologetic even when they don’t need to be.

“Have you been to Nando’s before?” they say as you take your seat. If you haven’t, bear in mind that you need to order at the counter.

Value for money – 4/5

Less than a tenner for a chicken burger, chips and two garlic breads.

Penalties – 0

No problems here.

Total: 54/80

This burger was ultimately let down by two of the most important elements – the burger itself and the bun. Good value though. And excellent and friendly service.